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Two men charged in the deaths of two young boys who fell over the Lower Falls at Letchworth State Park last year have struck a plea deal and face up to four years in prison, according to the Wyoming County District Attorney's Office.

Chad Staley, 32, and Tyler Jennings, 34, pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide in Wyoming County Court on Wednesday. The crime carries a maximum penalty of 1 ⅓ years to four years in prison. They are scheduled to be sentenced May 17.

The men were supervising a group of five young children on June 11, 2016, when they hiked off a designated trail and made their way into the water above the falls in what prosecutors described as a restricted area of the park. Swimming in the Genesee River is prohibited throughout the park.

The entire group, including the adults, lost their footing and were swept away. Five of them suffered minor injuries, but two boys from Brockport, brothers Preston and Dylan Giangregorio, aged 6 and 9, respectively, were killed.

Preston was a kindergartner at Ginther School and Dylan was a third-grader at Barclay School.

Staley and Jennings were originally charged with second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. The manslaughter charge will be dropped as part of the plea deals.

District Attorney Donald O'Geen said in a prepared statement issued Friday that the tragedy could have been avoided had Staley and Jennings heeded park warning signs.

"This has been a difficult and emotional case for all involved," O'Geen said. "It is my hope that this disposition will begin to bring closure to the families involved, justice for Dylan, Preston and all of the children and at the same time send a message that danger/warning signs matter."